Wed To The Forbidden Uncle

CH 15

She looked down and saw a small, snow-white puppy, resting its chin on its paws, sleeping soundly on a cushion.

Mercy was surprised. "A puppy!" she exclaimed softly.

She wanted to reach out and pet it but was afraid of waking it up, so she turned to Dexter.

"Uncle..." Mercy blinked her eyes at him.

The man chuckled at her innocent expression. "It's a gift for you."

Hearing this, the girl was overjoyed and hugged Dexter. "Uncle, you're the best!"

But before Dexter could wrap his arms around her, she pulled away and went back to admiring her puppy, not sparing him another glance.

Dexter thought to himself, why do I suddenly feel a bit regretful?

Up front, Gavin, who was responsible for buying the puppy, quietly drove the car, keeping his success to himself.

"By the way, Uncle," Mercy suddenly remembered something, her expression turning a bit sad, "I just realized Zara is afraid of dogs, so I might not be able to keep it."

Dexter patted her head. "It's okay. You can keep it at my place for now and you can visit whenever you want."

Her eyes lit up. "That's great! Let's go buy some things for the puppy!"

"No rush. Let's get you a change of clothes first."

Dexter instructed Gavin to take a detour to the mall.

At the branch of the Phoenix Feather Boutique, the staff had already been informed of the big boss' visit and were eagerly waiting.

Dexter picked out two outfits suitable for early autumn and handed them to her. "Mercy, go try these on."

A few minutes later, Mercy emerged from the fitting room. She was wearing white casual pants paired with a soft yellow sweater, featuring a fluffy little lamb design on the chest. She looked as sweet as a high school student.

"Uncle, do I look good in this?" Mercy asked, glancing at herself in the mirror before turning to Dexter.

Dexter pretended to give it serious thought, but then he said, "Mercy looks good in anything."

Mercy's cheeks turned red instantly and the store clerks chuckled quietly nearby.

"From now on, clothes from Phoenix Pavilion will be delivered to you, and you can choose whatever you like," Dexter added. "But isn't Phoenix Pavilion only known for formal wear?" Mercy was a bit confused, as she had no idea where these clothes came from.

Dexter noticed her confusion. "I had these prepared for you in advance. They're all in your size. In the future, someone will design clothes just for you and each piece will be one of a kind."

Gavin, standing nearby, explained, "Just like the boss' clothes, all exclusively from Phoenix Pavilion."

"Wow, does that mean I can wear matching outfits with Uncle?" Mercy imagined happily.

"Of course you can," Dexter replied, barely suppressing a smile.

After buying some supplies for the dog at a pet store, they headed back to the estate Dexter had purchased in Jinjiang City. A kindly old butler opened the door for them.

"Mercy, this is Uncle Moses. You can go to him if you ever need anything," Dexter said.

After exchanging greetings, Mercy quickly went to check on her puppy. The servants had already prepared a pet room and the puppy, having slept the whole way, was now awake and wagging its tail as it explored its new home.

"Hey there, little one! Your big sister is here!" Mercy called out.

The puppy, about two or three months old, was a fluffy white ball that bounced towards Mercy. She scooped it up into her arms and it immediately began licking her face.

"Giggling, Mercy dodged its slobbery kisses and reached out to tickle its little belly. The Samoyed pup obediently lay on its back, its four tiny legs curled up, looking adorably content.

Seeing the bright smile on Mercy's face, Dexter finally felt at ease. She was happy at last.

"Have you thought of a name for him yet?" Dexter asked.

Mercy tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Let's call him Bobby. Easy to remember!"

Dexter chuckled softly. "Alright."

As evening approached, Dexter arranged for someone to take Mercy home.

Standing on the porch of Maple Grove, Dexter hesitated as he looked at Mercy. "I was thinking of letting you move out of the Rivers family after you graduate. But if you're not happy there, I can buy you a house near the school. It would be closer for you."

Seeing the concern in his eyes, Mercy gave him a reassuring smile.

"Uncle, don't worry. I won't be sad because of them anymore. Since that's my home, why should I leave? That would just make Zara happy. What's mine is mine and even if I don't want it, I won't just hand it over easily!" The fire in the girl's eyes made her already stunning face even more captivating, so much so that it was impossible to look away.

"Good, as long as you're happy," Dexter said, relieved. After all, it's just the Rivers family. If needed, he could buy it for her to play with.

...

When Mercy got home, she was startled by Zara standing at the entrance like a guard. Zara's eyes were swollen like walnuts and her expression was both terrifying and ridiculous.

"Mercy!" Zara's voice was sharp. "Did you let that Gavin guy come up today? How could you be so cruel? You ruined my apprenticeship ceremony!"

Mercy was taken aback by Zara's audacity and responded coldly, "It's my birthday party. What's wrong with someone coming up to give a gift? And have you forgotten who the real Rivers family heiress is? If you can't stand me, you can leave."

Mercy realized that with someone as shameless as Zara, sometimes you just had to be blunt.

"Mercy! You dare tell me to leave?" Zara reached out, trying to grab Mercy's neck.

"What's going on?" The Rivers family couple, hearing the commotion, hurried over to see what was happening.

Seeing them approach, Zara quickly withdrew her hand and put on a pitiful act. "It's nothing. My sister is upset about today and I was just trying to comfort her, but she told me to leave."

Michelle, feeling sorry for Zara, hugged her and was about to scold Mercy when Callan came over with a jewelry box.

"Mercy, there was a little mix-up at the birthday party today because of the hotel's mistake. This is a birthday gift from Dad to make up for it."

Mercy opened the box and found a set of ruby jewelry inside.

Zara's eyes nearly popped out of her head. This was her dad's prized collection. She had begged him for ages to let her have it, but now it was just handed over to Mercy.

Her expression changed and she looked at Mercy with a gaze that could almost burn holes through her.

Sensing Zara's stare, Mercy gave a gentle smile, "Thank you, Dad."

And just like that, the matter was brushed aside.

The school had a three-day break for the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the second day, with nothing much to do, Mercy decided to attend a small charity auction on Dexter's behalf.

The hosts had invited Dexter several times. He had planned to take Mercy with him today, but a last-minute meeting kept him tied up. So, he arranged for Mercy to be taken there first, promising to join her once his meeting was over.